Profession taxidermist

Taxidermists mount and reproduce deceased animals or parts of animals such as trofy heads for the purpose of public display and education, such as in a museum or monument, or for other sources of scientific study, or for a private collection.

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Personality Type

Knowledge

  • Animal positions

    Possess information on the various positions animals take in a natural environment and in different circumstances. Not only the anatomy and figure of the animal is important, but especially the natural way of standing and moving.

  • Anatomy of animals

    The study of animal body parts, their structure and dynamic relationships, on a level as demanded by the specific occupation.

  • Conservation techniques

    The procedures, instruments, techniques, materials and chemicals used in conservation and archiving.

  • Animal species

    The characteristics of different species and breeds of animals (relevant to the occupation).

  • Physiology of animals

    The study of the mechanical, physical, bioelectrical and biochemical functioning of animals, their organs and their cells.

  • Animal welfare legislation

    The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.

Skills

  • Clean animal body parts

    Clean various body parts of animals for the preparation and tanning of animal skins. Clean body parts such as skin, skeleton, antlers or horns by using cleaning techniques, according to the animal species.

  • Create animal structure

    Manufacture the form of the animal and mount the bones to form the animal's structure using wires, cotton and clay. For a larger animals, use also a mould, metal structure or sculpture to form the animal, and place it in the correct position.

  • Skin animals

    Skin animals in an appropriate manner considering the end purpose of the skin. Strip off the hide of an animal to prepare for processing the carcass, or to use the skin or fur. Use case skinning for smaller animals, where an incision is made around the feet and the skin stripped off like a sock. If a non-invasive slaughter method like gassing or beating was used on a fur animal, take care to ensure that the animal is dead prior to skinning. Use open skinning for large animals, where an incision is made along the abdomen. Use the required equipment for skinning.

  • Finish animal structure

    Finish the animals structure by attaching other parts and accessories to the structure, such as a nose, ears, eyes or tail. For bigger animals, glue also the skin to the structure of the animal.

Optional knowledge and skills

provide customers with price information create scenery display apply a protective layer create animal records applied zoology legal requirements of ict products human anatomy repair stuffed animals label components provide customers with order information chemistry use painting techniques create base for products

Source: Sisyphus ODB